Chapter 7, Selma and the Voting Rights Act, 1965 Summary and Analysis

Shortly after Johnson won the election in a landside, King arranged a meeting with SCLC staff to discuss the next venue for SCLC demonstrations. Selma was chosen because of its known noncompliance to the Civil Rights Law of 1964 statutes and because the SNCC's commitment was beginning to wane. Shortly afterward, King took a vacation to Bimini that was interrupted when Hoover told reporters that King was a liar and a dishonorable character. King replied to these comments by saying he felt sympathy for the enormous burden Hoover carried and felt that any complaints King had about the FBI were justified by their inaction in the south. Other southern leaders began to hear rumors about King's improper behavior as documented by the FBI, and attended meetings with FBI officials to...